Judah Etinger delves into the complex history and diverse doctrines of Hinduism, tracing its origins back to around 1500 B.C. with evidence from archaeology, comparative philology, and comparative religion. Hinduism is described as a civilization and a congregation of religions without a specific beginning, founder, or central authority, encompassing a wide range of beliefs and practices including pantheism, polytheism, monotheism, agnosticism, atheism, dualism, pluralism, and monism. Orthodox Hindus are obligated to follow the rules of their caste for the promise of a better next birth.

“The history of Hinduism began in India about 1500 B.C. Although its literature can be traced only to before 1000 B.C., evidence of Hinduism’s earlier [background] is derived from archaeology, comparative philology, and comparative religion.”[2] According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Hinduism “is both a civilization and a congregation of religions; it has neither a beginning or founder, nor a central authority, hierarchy, or organization. Every attempt at a specific definition of Hinduism has proved unsatisfactory in one way or another, the more so because the finest scholars of Hinduism, including Hindus themselves, have emphasized different aspects of the whole.”[3] As a religion, Hinduism involves a combination of diverse doctrines and ways of life; orthodox Hinduism includes an extraordinarily wide selection of beliefs and practices. Hinduism can include: pantheism - a belief which identifies the universe with God polytheism - the belief in many gods monotheism - the belief that there is only one God agnosticism - the belief that the ultimate cause and the essential nature of things are unknown or unknowable or that human knowledge is limited to experience atheism - the denial or disbelief in the existence of any God or gods dualism - the belief that there are two independent divine beings or eternal principles, one good and the other evil pluralism - recognizing more than one ultimate substance or principle monism - the belief in one ultimate substance or principle, such as mind or matter, or the ground of both Hindus’ “only universal obligation, if they are orthodox, is to abide by the rules of their caste [hereditary social divisions] and trust that by doing so, their next birth will be a happier one.”[4]